The Top PC Games of 2016 (So Far)

It would be hard to argue 2016 hasn't been a great year for gaming. We're just over half-way through and the sheer number of new games is almost overwhelming.

So far we've seen incredible revivals of classic franchises with Doom, fantastic DLC that nearly qualifies as a stand alone game in The Witcher 3's Blood & Wine expansion, and the introduction of a wholly new and fantastic IP with Overwatch.

If you're a PC gamer, things are looking pretty great right now. Not only are newer, faster, and cheaper graphics cards making games look and run amazing, the best games so far this year are destined to be classics. Here then are the top PC games so far, along with our review score.

Hearts of Iron IV: 9.0

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Hearts of Iron IV is a massive, immersive, incredibly complex World War II simulation with a fantastic pay-off for players willing to invest their time and energy. With 11,000 unique provinces, air zones and sea regions, the massive playing field is like living, breathing game of Risk. Almost every detail of World War II war fighting is ingeniously replicated. Any PC gamer looking for an involved, time-intensive war simulation that also respects your time and rewards you accordingly will do well to play Hearts of Iron IV.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt-- Blood and Wine 9.0

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It hasn't just been a good (half) year for full games. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Blood and Wine expansion took the fantastic gameplay and story from The Witcher 3 and put it into a new location. Gone are the doom and gloom locales of the main game, replaced by sunshine and vineyards, a pastiche of southern France with a Witcher twist. Coming in at around 20-25 hours, the expansion is practically a stand-alone game, similar in spirit to Fallout 4's massive Far Harbor expansion. The expansion also marks the end of the saga of Geralt, but along the way it adds new features and enhancements.

Pony Island 9.0

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Pony Island is a short but enjoyable game that takes great pleasure in subverting what you expect it to be. You start locked into a computer, only able to play one game, the titular Pony Island. However, once you manage to get out of the game within the game, you gain access to the terminal on which Pony Island runs. That means you can access user accounts and files, and interact with other characters in the game via an '80s-vintage messageboard system. It's full of surprises, and its unique take on telling a story makes Pony Island a memorable and enjoyable experience.

Darkest Dungeon 9.1

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Tactical strategy games are as natural a fit on PC as playing games with a mouse and keyboard, and Darkest Dungeon is a wonderful addition to the genre. Dark and punishing, the game is as unpredictable as it is deep... and that's a good thing. Part of what makes Darkest Dungeon great is its replay value, helped along by its animation style and fantastic narration. The game excels at putting tension on you and your team, but it also gives you the option to quit when things aren't looking favorable, a nice addition that cuts down on potential frustrations.

XCOM 2 9.3

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The follow-up to 2012's XCOM: Enemy Unknown takes the tactical combat of the first and puts it into a scenario 20 years down the line. The world strategic map has been completely redesigned and offers increased replay value over the first game, while also changing out how engineering staff needs to be managed during gameplay. Objectives, loot, and maps have been randomized, easily giving XCOM 2 hundreds of hours of solid, enjoyable gaming for those who can't get enough of its tactical combat.

Firewatch 9.3

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Firewatch is a masterful melding of story-telling, art direction, and voice acting. The "walking simulator" tells its story through the gameplay, helped along by its smart script and great voice acting. Even though its Wyoming forest is stylized, it feels like a real place. The story itself deals with adult subjects but are approached with adult dialogue, making it one of the best narrative experiences going.

Overwatch 9.4

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Blizzard's first wholly new IP in nearly two decades, Overwatch is a stylish, mechanically solid multi-player shooter that is probably best enjoyed with WASD. But who are we to judge? The vast roster of characters available in Overwatch are all interesting in their own right. A huge part of Overwatch's charm comes from the depth of the characters. They're not just "sniper," "tank," "healer," Blizzard has used its decades of story-telling experience to give a depth to the characters that compliments the fun of the objective-based combat.

Dark Souls III 9.5

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Dark Souls III is the game that implores you to "get good." It's punishing. There is no hand-holding here. If you die, you have no one to blame but yourself. A death that would be considered cheap in any other game is par for the course in Dark Souls, and it's a true testament to just how good Dark Souls III is. Stories of ridiculous deaths, from either lack of awareness or a momentary lapse of timing, are gleefully shared among friends and as clips and gifs on social media and YouTube. It's because Dark Souls III makes mastery a truly rewarding experience, where a wealth of frustration becomes the down payment on the satisfaction of a job well done.

The Witness 10

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Despite also releasing on the PS4, few games feel at home on PC as The Witness. Its 3D world can be freely navigated and appreciated, but the world is merely window dressing for The Witness' clever and ingenious puzzles, of which there is no shortage. At first, the puzzles are light and fun, but as you work your way through the game, the complexity ratchets up. Along with the increasing complexity comes the understanding of the context of the puzzles. The hard puzzles don't feel unfair, and cracking the nut of a particularly onerous puzzle is fantastically satisfying. It strikes a wonderful balance between abstraction and a sense of purpose, making it one of 2016's best reviewed games for any platform.

Honorable Mentions

Doom: Our Doom review was positive, but we didn't quite give the game the glowing praise that some others awarded it. The game deserves a lot of credit for its crazy action, intense boss battles, and surprisingly rewarding exploration.

Stardew Valley: When a one-man indie studio makes what might just be the greatest farming simulation ever made, it's nothing short of a monumental achievement.

Total War: WARHAMMER: The bloody fantasy Warhammer universe is a perfect fit for Total War's hybrid strategy. And the finished product delivered on the promise.

Enter the Gungeon: Great pacing, great style, and near-infinite replay value combine to make Gungeon a must-play for fans of dungeon crawlers or twin stick shooters. And if you're a fan of both? You're in for a very good time.

Seth Macy is IGN's weekend web producer and just wants to be your friend. Follow him on Twitter @sethmacy, or subscribe to Seth Macy's YouTube channel.